Sending a Child to a New Zealand School as an International Student
School student visas are New Zealand's fastest, at 2 weeks on average and 5 weeks for 80% of applications. Funds are NZ$17,000 a year. Students under 10 must have a parent or legal guardian with them unless they live in an NZQA-approved hostel, and under-16s cannot work.
Quick Facts
| Processing | 2 weeks average · 5 weeks for 80% — the fastest band INZ publishes |
| Visa | Fee Paying Student Visa, from NZ$850 |
| Funds, years 1–13 | NZ$17,000 a year or NZ$1,417 a month, plus tuition |
| Under 10 | Must have a parent or legal guardian with them, unless living in an NZQA-approved hostel |
| Aged 15 or younger | Cannot work |
| School years 12 or 13 | Work rights need a letter of permission from the school and from parents |
| Parent's visa | Guardian Visitor Visa, from NZ$441 |
| Second-largest source country in schools | Japan |
| Figures checked | 20 August 2026 |
The fastest band in the system
INZ publishes student visa wait times by provider type, and schools sit at the top:
| Provider type | Average | 80% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | 2 weeks | 5 weeks |
| Universities | 2.5 weeks | 7 weeks |
| Private Training Establishments | 4 weeks | 9 weeks |
| Polytechnics and institutes of technology | 5.5 weeks | 9 weeks |
Two weeks is the fastest published average of any student band, and five weeks for 80% is the tightest spread.
That does not make it a formality. The 80% figure still means one in five applications takes longer, and INZ advises applying at least three months ahead. It also warns of longer processing for applicants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. See student visa processing times.
The visa and the money
School students apply for the Fee Paying Student Visa, from NZ$850 — a $485 application fee, a $265 immigration levy, and the $100 International Visitor Levy.
Funds for compulsory schooling, years 1 to 13, are NZ$17,000 for a full year or NZ$1,417 a month, plus tuition. That is lower than the NZ$20,000 tertiary rate, and it is the only place in the student system where a lower figure applies.
We publish no school tuition figures. State, state-integrated and private schools charge very differently for international students, and no government schedule exists. The figure that binds you is on the offer of place. See proving funds.
The under-10 rule
Students under 10 must have a parent or legal guardian with them in New Zealand, unless they are living in an NZQA-approved hostel.
This is a hard requirement, not a recommendation, and it shapes the whole plan for younger children. It means a family sending a seven-year-old is really planning two visas: the child's student visa and an adult's visa to accompany them.
The route for the accompanying adult is usually the Guardian Visitor Visa — see below.
The work rules for school students
| Age or year | Work rights |
|---|---|
| 15 or younger | Cannot work at all |
| 16 or 17, or in school years 12 or 13 | Only with a letter of permission from the school and from parents |
| 18 or over | Term-time hours as per visa conditions; no written permission needed for holiday work |
The permission letters are a genuine requirement and they are checked. Senior students told by classmates that "everyone works" are being told something that is true of New Zealand teenagers generally and not true of them.
Where work rights are granted, the term-time limit is 25 hours a week for visas granted on or after 3 November 2025. See student visa work rights.
The parent's visa
A parent or legal guardian of a child on a New Zealand student visa can apply for a Guardian Visitor Visa, from NZ$441, where the child is 17 or younger or enrolled in school years 1 to 13.
The essential facts:
- It is granted for the same duration as the student's visa
- Funds are NZ$1,000 a person a month, or NZ$400 a month if accommodation is already paid for
- No local work rights by default. You may work remotely for an overseas employer or clients; part-time work inside New Zealand requires a variation of conditions at NZ$325
- INZ states you must live with and care for your child in New Zealand. Failure to do so can result in deportation
That last obligation is not decorative. Full detail is on the Guardian Visitor Visa explained.
Choosing a school
New Zealand's school sector has state schools, state-integrated schools and private schools, and all three take international students.
What matters for the visa is the same for all of them: the school must be a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. The Code sets minimum standards for the care of international students — wellbeing, accommodation, information and complaints — and it matters more for a 14-year-old living away from home than for anyone else in the system.
NZQA administers the Code and is the authority on approved hostels. Accommodation arrangements — homestay, boarding, hostel — should be part of the school conversation from the start, not an afterthought, and they interact with the under-10 rule directly.
Where the students come from
Japan is the second-largest source country in New Zealand's school sector, and the number one source for non-government-funded providers overall with 3,395 students.
That reflects a long-standing relationship between Japan and New Zealand in short-term and school-level study, supported by visa waiver and a large English language market. See studying English in New Zealand.
The other route: children of visa holders
Not every child at a New Zealand school is on a Fee Paying Student Visa.
Where a parent already holds an appropriate New Zealand work or student visa, the child may qualify for a Dependent Child Student Visa, which is for primary or secondary school. It expires with the parent's visa, funds are NZ$17,000 a year, and the child may be treated as a domestic student for school fees.
That is a materially different position: no international tuition, and a visa that follows the parent's. Tertiary study requires a Fee Paying Student Visa instead, whichever route the child came in on. See the Dependent Child Student Visa.
Practical points for families
Passport expiry caps the visa. A student visa is usually granted to the earlier of the paid study period and passport expiry. Children's passports are often short-dated.
Enrolment and the visa are separate processes. The school handles enrolment; INZ handles the visa. Neither waits for the other unless you make it.
Changing school needs paperwork. A student visa names a provider, so moving schools generally needs a variation of conditions at NZ$325 or a new visa. See changing provider or course.
Health and character evidence still apply. Chest x-rays are generally required for stays over six months from countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis. INZ's own record shows health requirements being strengthened for children of temporary visa holders in March 2025; confirm the current requirement with INZ directly, since the detail is not something we could verify from a primary source.
Where to confirm this
- Fee Paying Student Visa: immigration.govt.nz/visas/fee-paying-student-visa
- Guardian Visitor Visa: immigration.govt.nz/visas/guardian-of-a-student-visitor-visa
- The Code of Practice and approved hostels: nzqa.govt.nz
- Enrolling a child once you are here: enrolling your child in a New Zealand school
General information about published rules. Not immigration advice, and not a recommendation of any school.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a New Zealand school student visa take?
INZ publishes 2 weeks as the average and 5 weeks for 80% of school applications — the fastest band it publishes for student visas.
How much money do I need to send my child to school in New Zealand?
INZ requires evidence of NZ$17,000 for a full year of living costs, or NZ$1,417 a month, plus tuition. School tuition is set by the school and appears on the offer of place; state, state-integrated and private schools charge very differently.
Can a child study in New Zealand without a parent?
Students under 10 must have a parent or legal guardian with them unless they are living in an NZQA-approved hostel. Older students may study without a parent present, subject to the school's own accommodation and pastoral care arrangements under the Code of Practice.
Can international school students work in New Zealand?
Students aged 15 or younger cannot work at all. Students aged 16 or 17, or in school years 12 or 13, need a letter of permission from the school and from parents. Where work rights are granted, the term-time limit is 25 hours a week for visas granted on or after 3 November 2025.
What visa does a parent need to come with a school student?
The Guardian Visitor Visa, from NZ$441, where the child is 17 or younger or enrolled in school years 1 to 13. It is granted for the same duration as the student's visa and carries an obligation to live with and care for the child.
Do international students pay school fees in New Zealand?
Fee-paying international students pay tuition set by the school. A child on a Dependent Child Student Visa — where a parent holds an appropriate work or student visa — may be treated as a domestic student for school fees instead.
Which countries send the most school students to New Zealand?
Japan is the second-largest source country in the school sector and the largest in non-government-funded providers overall, with 3,395 students.
Can my child go on to university on the same visa?
No. Tertiary study requires a Fee Paying Student Visa, with the tertiary funds rate of NZ$20,000 a year, even where the child has been at school in New Zealand on another student visa.
